One Piece Star Kazuki Yao Steps Down Amid Health Concerns

Kazuki Yao, a well-known voice actor from the One Piece anime, will not appear in an upcoming episode due to health concerns.

Yao, who voices the characters Franky and Jango, will be temporarily replaced by Wataru Takagi for the role of Jango.

This change was announced by the official One Piece website on their social media platform, X (formerly Twitter). Episode 1121, titled Garp and Kuzan: Master and Student’s Conflict of Justice, will air on October 6, 2024.

It’s still unclear how serious Yao’s condition is and whether he will return to voice Jango or if this replacement is permanent.

Yao has been struggling with health and vocal issues, which have affected his performance as Franky in recent episodes.

Fans and viewers have noticed that his articulation has been declining, making it difficult to hear his lines clearly.

Concerns about his vocal performance were first raised after Episode 1090, where his portrayal of Franky seemed less clear than usual.

While some fans expressed their worries about his health, others speculated that age might be a factor, as Yao turned 65 this year.

One Piece Star Kazuki Yao Steps Down Amid Health Concerns (Toei Animation)

Yao has been a part of One Piece since 2000, voicing both Jango and the fan-favorite character Franky. He also provides the voice for Bon Clay in the series.

His role as Franky, being a core member of the Straw Hat Pirates, holds significant importance. However, it remains uncertain if Yao will continue voicing Franky while stepping back from Jango, or if he will need to take a break from both roles due to his health concerns.

For now, Yao has asked fans to enjoy Takagi’s portrayal of Jango and expressed optimism about the temporary change.

Wataru Takagi, who will take over the role of Jango, is an experienced voice actor with a long career dating back to 1987.

He is well-known for his roles in various anime series, including Detective Conan, Naruto Shippuden, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

This year, he also returned to voice Tokageroh in the sequel series Shaman King: Flowers. With his extensive background in anime, Takagi is expected to bring his own unique style to the role of Jango while Yao focuses on his health.

Hiroyuki Sawano is a well-known songwriter and composer, famous for creating music for popular anime series, TV shows, and films like Attack on Titan, The Seven Deadly Sins, Kill la Kill, Guilty Crown, Blue Exorcist, Mobile Suit Gundam UC, Promare, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, and many more. His special project, SawanoHiroyuki[nZk], focuses on tracks featuring guest vocalists.

To celebrate the project’s 10th anniversary, a greatest hits album called bLACKbLUE is now available – LISTEN HERE.

The album includes 38 songs with various artists as vocalists, including ASKA, Aimer, Akihito Okano (from Porno Graffitti), suis (from Yorushika), and TOMORROW X TOGETHER.

It also features two bonus tracks, which are brand new: “Twin Fates,” a collaboration with female rapper Awich, and “B-Cuz,” featuring SennaRin, a singer produced by Sawano.

Hiroyuki Sawano Celebrates 10 Years of Sawano Hiroyuki[nZk] (Credits: Sony Music) Before the album’s release, SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] debuted the new song “Twin Fates”, featuring Awich. This track was written as the theme song for the new set of the popular trading card game Magic: The Gathering, titled Wilds of Eldraine.

The trailer for this set, produced by Studio Pierrot and aimed at a global audience, was released on YouTube in September 2023.

It quickly gained over 4 million views, and fans eagerly awaited the release of the song. The combination of the beautiful animation depicting the world of Wilds of Eldraine and the song created a lot of excitement, marking a much-anticipated release after a year in development. Watch the trailer HERE .

Hiroyuki Sawano Celebrates 10 Years of Sawano Hiroyuki[nZk] (Credits: Sony Music)

“Before I knew it, 10 years have passed. It seemed to go by so fast, but looking back, I was given great opportunities to try and challenge many things in these 10 years.

This greatest hits album consists of two discs, with songs chosen to show two different sides of [nZk]. I hope you enjoy these songs, where I had the chance to collaborate with many different artists, as well as the special tracks that were important and meaningful in this project.”

Hiroyuki Sawano Celebrates 10 Years of Sawano Hiroyuki[nZk] (Credits: Sony Music)

ABOUT Hiroyuki SAWANO

Hiroyuki Sawano, born in Tokyo in 1980, is a composer best known for creating music for TV shows, anime, and movies. His most famous work includes composing for the global anime hit Attack on Titan as well as other well-known series like Promare, Blue Exorcist, Kill la Kill, and The Seven Deadly Sins.

In addition to his work in soundtracks, he also composes and arranges music for various artists. In the spring of 2014, Sawano started a vocal-focused music project called “SawanoHiroyuki[nZk].”